Chapter 27

Lucy looked at Koi, her hands pausing on his shoulders. His face was unmoving as he stared forward. Most of the mud had been washed off, but he didn't seem to care whether or not he was clean.

"Koi, I-I don't wanna go back yet." She stuttered, continuing the task of washing her lover clean.

"We must return before the white-"

"Mr. Boone an' Ms. Cora ain't done a damn thing ta me 'cept give me a place ta stay an' food ta eat! Dey ain't like white folk! Dey nice! I ain't goin' back an' leavin' this nice family so ya pa can try an' kill me an' my baby again! I ain't leavin'!" Lucy exclaimed.

"You are coming back with me to-"

"No, I ain't! I ain't comin' back 'til I know ya pa ain't gonna try an' hurt me an' da baby!"

"You will come back today with me, Lucy."

"I tol' ya no! I said no an' I mean no!" Lucy stood up, soap in her hand, and started stomping back towards the cabin. Her stomach and the weight of a soaking wet dress slowed down her progress. Koi stood up, wet and naked, and followed after her. With his long legs and her short pregnant steps, he caught up to her immediately. He grabbed her arms and spun her around so that she was looking up at him.

"Look at me, Lucy."

"No! Get ya damn hands-"

"Look at me!" He demanded with a raised voice. Lucy shut her mouth, surprise and fear swirling around her eyes. Koi had never raised his voice at her and it frightened her slightly.

"Would I ever let anything bad happen to you?! Would I ever let anyone hurt you?! I love you and will never let you get hurt! My father will be dealt with upon our return!" His grip on her arms tightened with each exclamation. She looked up at him with glistening eyes and a quivering lip. He looked into her sad face and sighed. He released her arms and took her face into his hands.

"I am sorry for my actions, small one." He placed a kiss on her forehead and looked down at her. Tears raced down her face and he wiped them away with his thumbs. "Do not cry, small one."

"What if ya gone one day an' he kills me an' da baby?" More tears rushed down her face.

"He will not hurt or kill you or our child, Lucy. I promise you that. But, if you are still worried, then you may remain here. Once our child is born, you will return with me to the tribe."

She nodded her head and leaned into his touch. He tilted her head up and their lips met. Lucy pulled away from the kiss and looked down, giggling.

"Koi, ya naked. Putcha clothes back on." She said, smiling. Koi looked down, as well, and smiled.

"As you wish." He walked back to the edges of the creek to retrieve his clothing, Lucy's eyes shifted down to his muscular back and behind. Her face heated up and she looked down at her feet, giggling in embarrassment. He had muscles running down his back that she didn't think existed and a behind that she could bounce a pebble off of. Her face got warmer and she began to giggle more at the thoughts that ran through her head.

"What is so funny, small one?" Koi asked, coming back towards her in his clothing.

"Nothin'." She smiled up at him. He raised an eyebrow at her which caused her smile to grow. He let the question go and placed his hand on her growing stomach. The minute his hand landed on her stomach, it was kicked.

"Our child is becoming stronger." A smile crept onto his face.

"Sure is." She smiled back, rubbing her stomach. The baby in her stomach began turning and flipping, fully awake now.

In the middle of their family moment, the sound of barking dogs could be heard coming in their direction.

"Hurry inside, Lucy. Now." Koi pushed her lightly in the direction of the cabin. She hurried, to the best of her ability, into the cabin. He climbed up a tree with low sitting branches, to be out of range of the white men and dogs and to be able to make sure Lucy was safe.

Lucy closed and locked the door behind her before climbing up the ladder to the loft. Soon enough, there was a knock on the cabin door and barking dogs could be heard directly on the other side of the cabin walls. Someone was talking outside, but their muffled words couldn't be understood. The knocking soon stopped and Lucy's heart started to beat normally. The moment she thought they were going to go away, there was a loud bang. She stopped breathing, frozen in place on the bed as she heard heavy boot-cladded footsteps stomp around the wooden floor. The dogs sniffed around, growling and barking occassionally when they picked up Blue's scent.

Grunts and mumbles could be heard downstairs as the man or men went though everything downstairs. Lucy looked around and crawled under the small bed she was sitting on. Dogs and heavy footsteps snooping around on the bottom floor could still be heard, along with the sound of a creaking ladder. Lucy was positive she would die at any minute, if not at the hands of the white men, then by her heart ceasing to beat because of anxiety.

She could see the boots of the man as he stood up on the loft floor. She slowly slid her back against the wall, hoping to become a part of it. The boots were moving around and started coming closer to the bed. Lucy silently prayed in her head that God would keep her safe, hoping he would hear her prayer and act, as hot tears poured down her face for the second time that day. Yells, grunts, barks, and the sound of glass breaking could be heard from downstairs.

"What the hell you doin' down there, stupid?!" The owner of the boots yelled. The sounds didn't stop and the boots returned downstairs to see what was going on. She thanked God repeatedly in her head.

"Hey! You damn inj-" The yelling voice was cut off. The noises downstairs continued until they were cut off by Boone's loud yelling.

"What in the hell is this?! Why are y'all in my house?!" He yelled. The boots turned and made their way back down the ladder.

"B-Boone! We were knockin' an' no one answered, so-"

"Get your asses out of my house before I kill you an' feed your hides to my dog!" A gunshot rang through the house and stomping boots could be heard retreating.

"Devil bastards! Breakin' into my damn house an' messin' everything up! I shoulda killed 'em just for the hell of it!" Boone continued yelling as he stomped around.

"Lucy? Where are you, sweetheart? They're gone now." Ms. Cora's voice called from the bottom of the ladder. Lucy crawled from under the bed and made her way down the ladder. Once her feet touched the floor, strong arms engulfed her. She looked up to long black hair in her face.

"Are you okay, my Lucy? Did the white men hurt you?" Koi asked, looking down at her. She shook her head, wiping the remaining tears out of your eyes.

"Koi, I wanna go back ta da tribe witcha. Ya pa may try ta kill me an' our baby, but I know you'll protect us. I don caused Mr. Boone an' Ms. Cora 'nough trouble." She looked up at him.

"Are you sure, small one?"

She nodded her head and he responed with a single head nod.

"We will leave in the morning."